Dallas Mavericks New Arena at Valley View: Site, Plans & Timeline
By Hilda Avila, REALTOR®, Ebby Halliday Real Estate · Last updated: Nov. 6, 2026. We’ll update this post as the zoning case moves.
Short answer: The Dallas Mavericks plan a new arena and entertainment district at the former Valley View Mall site near Preston Road and LBJ Freeway in Far North Dallas. The team holds options on the land, began rezoning in September 2026, and aims to open in 2031. No Council vote is set yet.
Where is the new Mavericks arena?
The site is the former Valley View Mall, near Preston Road and LBJ Freeway (I-635) in Far North Dallas. It is inside the City of Dallas and in Dallas County, not Collin County. The zoning request covers the whole mall site plus parcels on Alpha Road and Montfort Drive, per The Dallas Morning News. Valley View Mall closed at the end of 2021, and demolition finished in 2023 (WFAA).
The main roads at the site are LBJ Freeway, Preston Road, Alpha Road and Montfort Drive. WFAA reported the area has DART bus service but no rail station. For more on the area, see my North Dallas guide.
What’s confirmed so far
- June 1, 2026: The Mavericks announced option agreements to potentially buy the former Valley View Mall site, about 104 acres, choosing it over the downtown City Hall site (Reuters; City of Dallas statement).
- July 2026: Legends Global was hired as owner’s representative and project manager (D Magazine).
- Sept. 9, 2026: The team formally began the zoning change process (FOX 4).
- The request: amend an existing planned development district and create a new subdistrict of about 112 acres for a sports and entertainment campus. That is larger than the 104 optioned acres because it adds parcels on Alpha Road and Montfort Drive (Dallas Sports Journal; DMN).
- Oct. 21, 2026: The team said it was “close” to submitting its full zoning package, which was in “final internal review” (DMN).
- No purchase before zoning: “It would be impossible for us to close on the site before we got a zoning approval,” the team told DMN. It keeps making option payments: $126,900 a month for the rest of 2026, rising to up to $274,950 a month from Jan. 1, 2027 to Jan. 1, 2028 unless the purchase is completed or terminated (Sports Business Journal; DMN).
- Current owners: Beck Ventures, Seritage Growth Properties and Life Time (DMN).
- Lease and target: The Mavericks’ American Airlines Center lease runs until 2031, and the team aims to open in 2031 (FOX 4; Mavs.com).
- Oct. 28, 2026: CEO Rick Welts is retiring, and Ethan Casson is set to become CEO (D Magazine).
What the team says it plans
Nothing below is approved. The team has said it plans:
- An arena, team headquarters and a training facility (Mavs.com).
- A separate concert venue, reported at about 5,000 seats (Dallas Sports Journal).
- A centerpiece park of about 7 acres (DMN).
- At least one 4-5-star hotel of about 300 rooms next to the arena (DMN).
- Zones for residential, office and retail “based on market demand,” with residential likely midrise, about 10 stories (DMN).
- Restaurants and retail.
Construction has been reported at about 30 months (Dallas Sports Journal). On gaming, Mavericks executive Boekenheide told DMN: “We want approval on what our master plan is for, which is sports arena-centric.”
What’s still pending
As of Nov. 6, 2026, these steps are still pending. The absence of a case on a City Plan Commission agenda is not proof that a full zoning package has or has not been filed.
- Submittal of the full zoning package
- City Plan Commission hearing
- City Council vote
- Closing on the land purchase
- Final design and renderings
- Financing and any public incentives
- Traffic and transit plans
Timeline
| Date | Step | Status |
|---|---|---|
| June 1, 2026 | Valley View site picked; option agreements announced | Done |
| July 2026 | Legends Global hired as project manager | Done |
| Sept. 9, 2026 | Zoning change process begins | Done |
| Oct. 21, 2026 | Team “close” to full zoning package; no land purchase before zoning | Reported |
| Nov. 5, 2026 | City Plan Commission met; no Valley View arena case on agenda | Confirmed |
| Jan. 1, 2027 | Option payments can step up to $274,950 a month | Scheduled |
| Not set | City Plan Commission hearing | Pending |
| Not set | City Council vote | Pending |
| Not set | Land purchase closes | Pending |
| After approval | Construction, reported at about 30 months | Pending |
| 2031 | American Airlines Center lease runs until 2031 | Scheduled |
| 2031 | Team aims to open in 2031 | Target |
What to watch next
- City Plan Commission hearing. The commission meets on Thursdays every other week at 9 a.m. Agendas are on the City Plan Commission meetings page. The Nov. 5, 2026 final agenda had no Valley View / Mavericks arena item (Legistar meeting detail); that does not confirm whether a full zoning package has been filed.
- City Council vote after the commission acts.
- The full zoning package and any renderings.
- The land purchase closing, which the team says comes after zoning approval.
- Jan. 1, 2027, when the option payments can step up.
Rezoning signs posted on a site carry a case number you can look up in the city’s DallasNow system.
The other North Texas arena plan: Stars at Willow Bend
The Mavericks aren’t the only team with arena plans. The Dallas Stars’ plan centers on the Willow Bend area in Plano, a separate project with its own city process. Plano voters rejected Proposition A, the venue-tax measure tied to that plan, on Nov. 3, 2026, with about 54.6% voting against in unofficial results (Community Impact). I cover the results and next steps in Dallas Stars Arena at Willow Bend: Prop A Results.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Dallas Mavericks’ new arena going to be?
The Mavericks plan their new arena at the former Valley View Mall site near Preston Road and LBJ Freeway (I-635) in Far North Dallas. The site is inside the City of Dallas. The mall closed at the end of 2021, and demolition finished in 2023.
When will the new Mavericks arena open?
The team aims to open in 2031. Its American Airlines Center lease runs until 2031. That target depends on zoning approval, the land purchase and construction, which has been reported at about 30 months.
Have the Mavericks bought the Valley View land?
No. The team holds option agreements on about 104 acres and has said it won’t close on the land until zoning is approved. Until then it keeps making monthly option payments, which were reported at $126,900 a month for the rest of 2026.
Has Dallas City Council approved the arena?
No. The team began the zoning change process on Sept. 9, 2026. As of Nov. 6, 2026, no City Plan Commission or City Council date had been set. The Nov. 5, 2026 City Plan Commission final agenda had no Valley View / Mavericks arena item; that does not confirm whether a full zoning package has been filed. Both bodies must act before the rezoning is final.
What else is planned besides the arena?
The team has said it plans team headquarters and a training facility, a hotel of about 300 rooms, a separate concert venue, a park of about 7 acres, restaurants and retail, plus areas for residential and office use based on market demand. Designs aren’t final.
Will there be a casino at the Valley View site?
The team has said gaming is not part of its master plan. Mavericks executive Boekenheide told The Dallas Morning News: “We want approval on what our master plan is for, which is sports arena-centric.”
Is the new arena in Collin County?
No. The former Valley View Mall site is in the City of Dallas and Dallas County, near Preston Road and LBJ Freeway. It is not in Collin County, though it is near the Collin County suburbs to the north.
How is this different from the Stars arena plan in Plano?
They are separate projects. The Mavericks’ plan is for the former Valley View Mall site in Dallas. The Dallas Stars’ plan involves the Willow Bend area in Plano, with its own city process and vote. See my Willow Bend post for that project.
Talk with Hilda
Thinking about buying or selling in North Dallas or Collin County? Contact Hilda or call (469) 802-8711. Se habla español.
Sources (checked Nov. 6, 2026): Reuters, June 2, 2026 · City of Dallas joint statement, June 1, 2026 · WFAA, June 1, 2026 · The Athletic, June 1, 2026 · FOX 4, Sept. 9, 2026 · Dallas Sports Journal, Sept. 9, 2026 · The Dallas Morning News, Oct. 21, 2026 · Sports Business Journal, Oct. 22, 2026 · D Magazine, Oct. 28, 2026 · Mavs.com
Last updated: Nov. 6, 2026.
Hilda Avila, REALTOR® · Ebby Halliday Real Estate, LLC · TREC #803801 · Broker #257740